Two Lane Adventures: Day 5 - Savannah and beyond

Thursday 14 March 2019

Did I mention that Red Gate Farms, really has animals? Well there are many, as well as over 200 acres of beauty. I will share more pictures of the property later, but the goats were so cute this morning!

We started our first full day in Savannah with a private Old Town Trolley tour. It is one of the best ways to see the extraordinary architecture, lush botanicals, and captivating stories of this historic, coastal city. Our trolley conductor was Rev. He told us he was going to share a fascinating and fun mix of trivia and humorous stories as he guided us through “Georgia’s First City” on his orange and green trolley.

One our way downtown, I was able to capture some pretty road side flowers and flowering trees. Some might be weeds, but they were pretty and the sides of the trolley were open … so why not shoot pictures!

Established in 1733, the inherent beauty of Georgia’s First City is fascinating and it’s reflected in nearly everything you can explore in this city. Riding aboard the trolley getting its history from an “expert” is the best way to do it!

Our first stop was the historic Visitor Center, which is located in the old red-brick passenger terminal of the Central of Georgia Railroad complex. The building is also home to the Savannah History Museum. It was built in the 1850s and 1860s, the railway used the building with high ceilings and its sweeping archways until 1972.

The Savannah History Museum is home to more than 10,000 artifacts and showcases the city’s fascinating history from its founding in 1733 to the present day. The museum is home to Forest Gump’s bench, one of Johnny Mercer’s Oscar Awards, and a carriage owned by the family of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Lowe. Other exhibits document Savannah’s military history from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm and include a wonderful collection of weapons, uniforms and other military artifacts. Railway exhibits include vintage engines, passenger cars, coal cars, cabooses and other historic relics.

In 1733, Savannah’s founding father, General James Oglethorpe he had a grand scheme for laying the city out in a manner which made sense, was easy to navigate and gave the citizens of this new city places to do things out in public. So, General Oglethorpe came up with the idea of laying the city of Savannah out in a grid pattern with Squares, which are open areas made for public use, spaced out throughout this grid. These Squares were originally used to practice and drill for the militia, but today they are gathering places of beauty and history. There are 22 remaining today (there used to be 24).

Chippewa Square is one of the most visited Squares in all of Savannah. Once you are there it will be easy to see why. Surrounding Chippewa Square are many Historic Buildings including the Savannah Theater. We will be at the Theater later tonight. In the center of Chippewa Square you'll find the monument to General James Oglethorpe. And yes, Chippewa Square is the Square where Forrest Gump sat on the bench and waited for his bus.

Monterey Square is the furthest south Square in Savannah, on Bull Street. In 1842, the growing population of Irish immigrants in Savannah wanted to feel more at home and welcomed in their new land, so they created their own military unit to aid Georgia in whatever battles needed to be fought. They called themselves the Irish Jasper Greens. During the Battle of Monterey in 1846 at the same time as the Mexican American War, the Irish Jasper Greens fought bravely. As such, their courage is memorialized in the naming of Monterey Square. In the center of Monterey Square, lies an imperial monument in honor of Casimir Pulaski. Casimir was a Polish nobleman who died in the Siege of Savannah fighting alongside Americans. He moved to Georgia in hopes of a better life, and instead sacrificed his own life for the safety of others. But, the question begs to be asked … why is the monument to Pulaski in Montgomery Square and not his name sake square? Yes, there is a Pulaski Square.

Forsyth Park, a 30-acre historic city park located in the Victorian District. Home to the Georgia Historical Society, Forsyth Fountain, the Victorian District, and Confederate and Spanish-American War Memorials. Forsyth Park is the perfect way to reflect on the colorful history of the South’s past. It was named after Georgia Governor at the time of the expansion in 1851, John Forsyth.

People from all over come to see it’s most famous asset: the Forsyth fountain. Modeled after the fountains found in Place de la Concorde in Cuzco, Peru, it was added to the North end of the park in 1858.

River Street is unique, it is 80,000 square feet of empty abandoned warehouse space that was transformed into a colorful array of shops, restaurants and art galleries. There are more than 70 businesses, shops, and restaurants that call River Street home. Casual and upscale restaurants sit alongside quaint specialty shops and art galleries. We strolled along the lovely landscaped river walk that runs between River Street and the Savannah River. It’s no doubt nearing lunchtime and the crew is getting restless to sample some of the local fare. We enjoyed a light lunch on the 2^nd floor outdoor patio at Tubby’s.

There is also a 500 pound piece of the Blarney Stone in Savannah. It was purchased by a prominent businessman and on display for the weekend. You can take your picture with it or kiss it for a donation stating tomorrow. I snapped a free picture today!

We walked up an original set of stairs bay up to Bay Street. We found some cute shops, but, the cutest thing we saw was this sign at a water bowl!

On our way to enjoy dessert, I found this awesome architecture.

Guess where we had dessert? We thought of you, Miss Pattye!

Can you guess the flavors?

We backtracked a bit to City Market, where the trolley dropped us offr. Since the early 1700s, City Market has been the commercial and social center of historic Savannah. It’s also a great place to end the day with a glass of wine, craft beer or farm-to-bottle cocktail. It is here that I finally found a green zip up sweatshirt for Charlie! Yeah!

We grabbed the trolley with Rev, back to the campground. Along the way out of town, we saw more southern architecture and learned that homes with red doors meant the mortgage was paid. Never knew that one! Back at the campground, we enjoyed a Yankee Pizza dinner. Yes, we are eating again!

We had a little time to relax, before we headed out to the Savannah Theater, to see Savannah Live! We had seats in row 3 and 4. They kept calling it a variety show, like the Ed Sullivan show.

Well, let me tell you … this was not the Ed Sullivan show, it is a high-energy 2 hour variety show that features everything from “Pop” to “Broadway” and “Motown to “Rock & Roll!” Featuring a rockin’ live band and eight singers and dancers. There are 3 married couples that are part of the eight cast members.